Working for the climate - Renewable energy & the green job [R]evolution

Sep 2009

Under the Energy [R]evolution scenario, renewable energy gains a much bigger share of the market through dynamic growth. At the same time, nuclear energy is phased out and the number of fossil fuel-fired power plants required for grid stabilisation is reduced. By 2020, 32.5% of the electricity produced worldwide would come from renewable energy sources. By 2030, renewable energy would form 42% of the mix.The installed capacity of renewable energy technologies would grow from today’s 1,000 GW to 4,536 GW in 2030, and 9,100 GW in 2050. Initially, new highly efficient gas-fired combined-cycle power plants, plus an increasing capacity of wind turbines, biomass, concentrating solar power plants and solar photovoltaics will be required.For growth in renewable energy technologies to work economically will depend on: a mobilisation that makes best use of their technical potentials; how mature the technology is and where it is on the cost reduction curve.Biomass, hydro and CSP with efficient heat storage are important elements in the overall mix, because their supply does not fluctuate.UNEP observes that so far, it is mostly the advanced economies that have shown technological leadership in developing viable renewable energy but now developing countries have a growing role. China and Brazil account for a large share of the global total, having strong roles in solar thermal and biomass development. Many of their jobs are in installations, operations and maintenance, as well as in biofuel feedstocks.